"Oh, I am so bloated?" Women are often complaining of bloating, sluggish fullness and constipation.
Check out these simple solutions to help a slow-moving GI tract:
Do not skip meals; pack your snacks
When
we start eating, the very act of chewing kick starts our digestive
juices, in the form of enzymes, into action. Digestive enzymes are
responsible for digesting our food along the entire length of our
digestive tract. When we skip a meal, these digestive enzymes are not
produced in sufficient quantities which can then lead to poor digestion
and trigger bloating. Besides, missing meals results in overeating later
in the day when the stomach is even less active. Travel with snacks
like a piece of fruit to avoid going for long periods of time without
eating.
Eat small and frequently
Eating mini meals every three
to four hours will keep you from getting hungry while also giving your
stomach adequate time to empty in between meals. If you skip a meal and
approach your next meal feeling ravenous, you are likely to overeat
which can then lead to a feeling of fullness and bloating. You are also
more inclined to eat rapidly to satisfy your hunger pains, which can
make it more challenging to listen to your body’s fullness and satiety
messages.
Split servings
Eating little and often keeps you
going and energized and prevents you from having to loosen your belt
afterward. Eating is supposed to make you feel good, not exhausted! Try
taking your usual meal and divide it into two servings a few hours
apart.
Eat out early
If you're going to eat out, make it lunch
or brunch rather than dinner. Especially carbohydrates. When you load up
late at night, you are bound to wake up feeling all puffy-like in the
morning. You spend the night retaining water and wake up feeling like a
sponge. So if one of your meals is big, make it lunch. Then you have
time to work it off!
Impose a dinner curfew
Stomach contractility [one of the first stages of digestion] decreases markedly after dark.
Avoid Sleeping with a full stomach
Wait four hours after eating to exercise or lie down. This will ensure you're not jogging or sleeping with a full stomach.
Go for a walk
Some
gentle exercise following a meal will help to release trapped air in
your GI tract. Consider a 10 minute stroll to the shop if you feel
bloated after a meal; you should notice a difference! You don't have to
go hitting the pavement. Just grab the dog and go! Every little bit
helps.
Limit intake of fatty foods
High-fat, high-sugar foods
take longer for your stomach to digest and thus your stomach is fuller
for a longer period of time. Watch out for foods with a high fat
content, such as meat, cheese and cream sauces, which slow down stomach
emptying.
Split up your fibre
Avoid eating a large amount of
fibre at one time, which can lead to a full stomach and abdominal
discomfort. Instead of going from two servings a day to nine, try adding
an extra vegetable serving each week to give your intestinal tract time
to adjust to the new fiber load. In most cases, you'll experience less
bloating problems if you give the intestinal bacteria living in your gut
time to adjust to your new diet.
Do not gulp
Hydration is
important for keeping the products of digestion moving, but don't chug
large amounts of fluid. Sip throughout the day instead. Drink liquids in
between rather than during meals to avoid overfilling the stomach.
Also, the more gulps of air you take in with that food or drink, the
more that has to get processed in your body. It has to get rid of it
somehow, so it turns into bloating and gas.
It is important to note
that as everyone is unique, different approaches may work for different
individuals. A helpful solution for most of us is to eat small, regular
well balanced meals which will also support energy levels and mood, as
well as reduce digestive problems such as bloating.
